The following are interview highlights from KSPN radio 710 in LA yesterday:

- RVD talked about how he plans on having a wrestler guest at his comic book store once a month.

- A caller asked who would win between RVD & HBK, and one of the hosts yelled out "HBK is a p**sy!"

- RVD put over Big Show and Brock Lesnar as the strongest people he's worked with.

- RVD jokingly did admit to the fact that he does work somewhat stiff.

- On the subject of not getting a huge push, Rob just said he does what he's asked to do, and if you let it get to yourself, it can be frustrating. He also said that politics were one of the things he had to get used to in the WWE lockerroom.

- He also said he's in the middle of backstage politics right now.

- Finally, he said it's tough to accept that Shane and Bischoff can headline shows while he opens, but he's used to it by now.

And then this little ditty from the same site:

"In an update to that rather controversial RVD interview that I posted this morning, it appears that RVD is getting silent praise in the back for finally saying what needed to be said. RVD has recently been very honest in interviews, and is earning a lot of respect from coworkers."

Think RVD's crossing dangerous waters with this "honesty"? I don't know, to admit in public that he's in the middle of backstage politics after saying he doesn't let things get to him...And for the latter news, I'd imagine it'd ring truth, but does anyone know how exactly these guys get this information?Other thoughts?

- RVD jokingly did admit to the fact that he does work somewhat stiff.

That he's so flippant about it, while complaining about other issues, is amazing. RVD singlehandedly injured the world champion three different times in the span of almost half a year; the Survivor Series throat injury, the hematoma early in the year, and the most recent hematoma. Both hematomas came from RVD driving his elbow into HHH's leg muscle on top rope moves, and all three injuries kept HHH out of action for a bit. Jokes about HHH's power aside, how can RVD possibly not catch on that injuring people won't do him any favors.

RVD seems like a guy that just doesn't care anymore. Either than or he really thinks that there's such a thing as "Too over to get fired" in the WWE. Not that he is anymore, either. If he hadn't done the run-in to attack Kane a couple weeks back, they could have gone months without me even thinking about him.

I've also noticed how him not making it to the top is because of the politics, or poor booking, or because the writers don't get "RVD's character". I wish he'd just say once that "I guess if I hadn't ruined my main event match with Triple H a few weeks back by just plain SUCKING, they wouldn't be so against giving me more main events". It's apparently always everyone else's fault but his that he's not the next Rock.

I don't know where the RVD hate came from just there, but I've read about 4 or 5 interviews that have him saying the same stuff.

Tribal Prophet

Wrestling exists in the eternal present. What is, has always been, and when it no longer is, it never was. It has no past and no future, and sometimes even today is in question. - Madame Manga

He came and immediately got himself over, they could have ran with it but they didn't and now he's just in lame duck pergatory with Chris Jericho, Booker T, Chris Benoit, Eddy Guerrero, Scott Steiner, and anyone else who had the audacity to get over right away due to things they did when they weren't in WWE.

Vince McMahon made money with ZEUS and ULTIMATE WARRIOR. He knows how to hide people's weaknesses in order to make money. Well, he did. There was a reason Hogan never wrestled on TV and only in 5 minute matches on house shows. All I see now from the WWE Creative is trying to force squares into round holes.

Rob Van Dam got over, and instead of capitalizing on it by hiding his weaknesses, WWE chose to focus on them and waste another opportunity. It's rarity that someone like Ric Flair or The Rock or Kurt Angle comes along that can do it all well. The rest need good bookers to hide their weaknessess. Heck even Rock got protected a ton as a worker by just doing gimmick filled brawls in big matches.

Originally posted by fuelinjectedHe came and immediately got himself over, they could have ran with it but they didn't and now he's just in lame duck pergatory with Chris Jericho, Booker T, Chris Benoit, Eddy Guerrero, Scott Steiner,......

Well I do agree with you that the WWE has blown the opportunities to strike while the iron was hot with some of the above wrestlers, I also believe Guerrero, Jericho, and Booker T are not in lame duck purgatory because they have the ability to move between mid and upper card without any lasting damage.

Is RVD in that group yet? I hope so, but I think he needs to be more rounded. I don't see him as Steiner, who will never get another push to the ME unless most of the roster is hurt or if drops some mass and overhauls his persona.

Back to blown opportunities, they could have pushed Angle before they did, I think most people think they pushed Brock way to fast. We all harp on mic skills, IMHO I think RVD and Benoit on the mic are worlds better than Brock is.And they blew the Benoit push when Shane was his manager, he was about to be super over. With the "toothless aggression" crap I think Benoit is in purgatory, it doesn't fit him like "bad ass heel" does

RVD didn't really say anything controversial here, but I agree with the sentiment that he's pretty much accepted his position and knows they won't ever let him have the ball.

It's with this, though, that I think we should all realize that we'll never see the "next Steve Austin" ever again in wrestling, unless WWE gets some competition down the road. Hell, we're seeing who could be the "next Steve Austin" right now in Kurt Angle, and he has to share the spotlight with such superstars as rookie Brock Lesnar and established superstar Vince McMahon. That's not even going into the mess on the other half of the roster.

RVD could have been a main eventer, a World Champion, and he's already a guy who moves merchandise. But, he won't be. He's too complacent. He's just happy to have a high paying job doing what he's always wanted to do. If he makes a move or takes a stand to go to a higher level in WWE, he risks losing his job. Then, what? TNA? Don't kid yourselves.

The politics and the fact that WWE is the only American fed that can stand on its own two feet have given those in power in WWE so much leverage that, even if Steve Austin were rising today, he could not overcome it.

If you look at both the rises of Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan, they weren't brought about by WWE simply wanting to elevate someone to the top of the card. With Hogan, it was to lure him away from the AWA and give the WWF its banner superstar to destroy the other territories in McMahon's conquest. With Austin, it was to give the WWF it's banner character to counteract the nWo and rise to the top again. Both moves were heavily inspired by the competition. With no competition left, WWE's struggle is internal, and it becomes its own worst enemy.

Originally posted by fuelinjectedHe came and immediately got himself over, they could have ran with it but they didn't and now he's just in lame duck pergatory with Chris Jericho, Booker T, Chris Benoit, Eddy Guerrero, Scott Steiner, and anyone else who had the audacity to get over right away due to things they did when they weren't in WWE.

I think Steiner's problems were a result of some unequivocably shitty ringwork rather than booking decisions

Again though it sounds like more of the same from Rob. Blame politics, blame the writers but god forbid it might be something to do with himself thats the problem.

Anyone who shows that little desire and shows that little care about working stiff (especially with his record of injuring folks) doesnt deserve to get a push.

I really wish he did care a bit more cos the guys got huge potential, but theres no way they should be giving the ball to someone who clearly doesnt give a shit about the business.

Originally posted by dMrAgain though it sounds like more of the same from Rob. Blame politics, blame the writers but god forbid it might be something to do with himself thats the problem.

Anyone who shows that little desire and shows that little care about working stiff (especially with his record of injuring folks) doesnt deserve to get a push.

I really wish he did care a bit more cos the guys got huge potential, but theres no way they should be giving the ball to someone who clearly doesnt give a shit about the business.

I'm sorry, but when you're one of the most over guys in the company (and he WAS in 2001, as the fans went as far as to chant his name during matches that had nothing to do with him) and yet, you find yourself going from main events, to curtain jerker feuds with Goldust in a matter of a month, I think backstage politics are to blame.

Yes, RVD works stiff. Yes, he should be punished for that. So just get a bunch of other workers to beat the shit out of him backstage. Fine him. Get Bradshaw to rape him in the showers.

But don't go out there and shove a guy that could mean money, and shove him into Sunday Night Heat matches. Why? Because the fans don't give a shit that he injured Kurt Angle. They only care about the fact that they love RVD.

The fact is is that the fans wanted RVD in the main events. That's all that mattered. And his "working stiff" and all that other talk is just easy political answers to justify the bullshit de-push that he received.

To this day, I don't understand why they dropped the ball with Van Dam. He was OVER. He was fun to watch. He did stuff in the ring that WWE fans had never seen. Out of the steaming pile of horseshit that was the Invasion, he was clearly the bright spot. I'd argue that he was THE most over person on the roster, at his heights 2001.

The money feud was him and Steve Austin. It was teased, the fans wanted it, it could have led to a WrestleMania match... then he was gone.

Because he hurt people? Even Angle broke Bob Holly's arm once upon a time. No one is innocent in that regard. He definitely needed to tone it down, but when's the last time you've read something about RVD hurting someone?

I don't know if he was the second coming of Stone Cold, but RVD was a rare commodity - a wrestler who got over without any discernable help from the management. His reward was getting pushed aside while homegrown talents like Lesnar, Orton, Bautista, Team Angle, Spanky, John Cena and others were pushed.

I don't blame him for being frustrated. He's basically being caged for the next 5 years, so as not to be useful to anyone else. When he's safely over the hill, then he'll be put out to pasture.

I really think the reason RVD doesn't try anymore is due to the fact that he is stuck doing nothing. Let's be honest here some people when they hit a glass ceiling will just get by. Not all but some react this way. So RVD just gets by and hits his spots and goes back to hit the showers. I'm not saying I agree with that but its a natural reaction. Give him a real program with someone and that fire may light up under him and he could probably put on some pretty good matches again. As for the injury problems we have seen other wrestlers injure people before such as Kurt and Brock and lets not forget Brock put Holly out for a year with that neck injury. I don't think we can really blame RVD for hurting HHH's legs and as for the 5*that hit on his thorat I blame that more on set up for the Elimination Chamber either not being comfortable for him or just making him mess up the move. Thats a legit accident not working stiff to me.

And let's also recall that when Jericho came into WWE, he reportedly got heat backstage for being too stiff, and wound up having to retrain with X-Pac to develop a more "WWE style."

Incidentally, where was it mentioned that Trips's leg hematomas were a result of RVD hitting him in the legs? I don't think I've seen anything to that effect.

"I do have a degree in electrical engineering... from almost 20 years ago. Punchcard systems were just becoming obsolete, we had rotary phones in the dorms, and a modem was still a gizmo the size of a shoebox into which you squooshed the phone receiver itself. In short, we lived like animals.

The instant obsolesence is why I became a writer. The rate of punctuation in a sentence doesn't double every 18 friggin' months, and you never have some 22-year-old looming over your shoulder, shaking his head, saying "dude... you're still using adverbs...?"

Angle broke Holly's arm with a moonsault some time during his first year. Somewhere along the line Holly got antsy and came back too soon, putting him out much longer. It could have been in a match against Brock but I'm not sure.

Can someone give more info on the above (and other) in ring accidents and injuries?

There was a Smackdown match between Bob Holly and Brock, back when Brock was getting his initial push. Since Brock was a rookie, Holly started working extra stiff and just being an overall dick. In the middle of the match, Brock went for a powerbomb, but Holly continued being a jerk and basically made himself difficult during the move, so Brock just said "Fuck that shit" and dropped the prick on head. Holly was since blamed for the incident by online fans, as many of us felt Bob Holly was trying to treat Brock the way he did Matt from Tough Enough 3.

If RVD is disenchanted then he should join the club. There's a few guys not surprisingly mostly on the Raw side that I get a sense of that. Guys who just a few years ago seemed to love what they’re doing and now just accepting their role. Guys like Jericho who on Kilborn rather talks about how he enjoys being a make believe rockstar then a wrestler. And guys like Jeff Hardy who had more desire then anyone a few years ago who pretty much just didn't care anymore... I guess you can go two ways, even though Jericho when talked to doesn't have that pie in the sky attitude he had just a couple of years ago his in ring work still is pretty solid and seems contempt with his place or you can totally flame out like Jeff Hardy did. I'm thinking RVD fits somewhere in the middle.

This happens in any work environment, if you feel you are on the hamster wheel to no where and never going to get a fair chance it will effect your mindset... It happened in WCW, it's happening now. You see yourself and your peers just stuck while others get opportunity after opportunity to fail for whatever reason, it gets annoying.

In 2001 RVD was as "can't miss" as you can get, and WWE did everything not to give him the opportunity. Sure he wasn't perfect and had drawbacks, but he could have been special. Him simply pointing to himself was reminiscent of Hogan tearing his shirt or Austin flipping the bird. Difference was while Hogan was getting over tearing his shirt, WWE wasn't on his case and focusing on his balding head, balding head and like of movement. When Austin was flipping the bird, WWE wasn't worried about his lack of bodytone or his knees being shot to hell and walking around with braces on them. But for RVD they found every little fault not to push him... Sure RVD has a reputation of working stuff, and I'm sure you don't like getting potatoed during your matches. But waking up with a little mouse under your eye isn't fun but not the worse thing that can happen to you.

WWE has completely castrated RVD. I still think he's special, he's got a cult following that I think will follow him somewhere else. I know I would. I went to ECW shows and bought ECW PPV JUST for RVD. I'll get NWATNA if I know RVD would be used to his full potential... WWE had no idea who they had, they are always searching of what will be the next big act to catch on and I think RVD could have been it, was unique enough to get over. I guess that's the problem I guy who gets over on his own without having to say a word or the WWE forced hype machine behind him.